pet

Time is a horribly tricky thing. It may seem simple, tick-tocking along, but it’s really a slippery river with an endless number of currents that tug at your life and twist it around.

One day you’re rushed for time, and you find a stray dog. He’s sweet and friendly, so you devote time to finding him a home.

But he’s a pitbull mix. All the rescue shelters with space say the most time they could give him would be two days before putting him down. That’s not enough time for this big-headed dog who will not stop kissing you, so you reluctantly keep him.

You name him Monty. In the blink of an eye this undernourished mutt wins you over with his curiousity, his intelligence, and his determination. He gets into everything with an honest enthusiasm you can’t help but catch, and he quickly learns all the rules of the house for the express purpose of challenging them.

In a flash he has become your dear friend, with his loyalty, tenderness, and energy carrying you through anything the world throws at you. He wins over friend after friend with his antics and, of course, his big wet kisses.

In a twinkling he has become your Buddy, your confidant, your unwavering companion in all manner of mischief and exploration. Always at your side when you need him, always waiting patiently when you’re too busy. When you have time again for him, he has kisses ready to go.

In a heartbeat he has become such a part of your life you can’t recall a time when he wasn’t curled up warm and snoring at your feet. Then you realize that heartbeat was really a decade in the making, and his eyes are getting dim, his joints ache, and he has become very, very tired… but still he kisses you.

And you can’t understand where all the time has gone.

When time finally runs out, a million moments come rushing back to you. Wonderful, goofy, sweet, crazy, touching, and precious beyond words. They remind you that time falls apart when you look backwards at it. It must be viewed from the inside, with each individual moment being cherished for as long as they last.

And when you view these wonderful moments in their totality, you realize what an indescribably lucky person you were to have such a dear friend for so long.

Sometimes friendships only last the briefest of times, sometimes they last a lifetime.